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I Told You So

I Told You So
Words of Faith 8-16-16
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2016
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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Acts 27
[21] After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. [22] But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. [23] Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me [24] and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' [25] So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. [26] Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."

As the ship was stranded on the sea and everyone had given up hope, Paul preached this message. It could be counted as one of the most interesting sermons in Biblical history. It is a four-point message. In a nutshell Paul’s message went like this--

1) I told you so. You should have stay in Crete.
2) Well, stick with me and you will be safe. I am your best bet. (Only the ship will be destroyed.)
3) How do I know this? An angel from MY God told me I would be safe… and you guys, too.
4) By the way…. We are going to run aground.

I suppose that sometimes you’ve just got to share what is on your heart. :-) I am not sure how well any of us would respond to a sermon titled: “I told you so”.
Humor aside, this was a message of encouragement and did they ever need some of that. 278 men were contemplating their deaths on the open sea. They were so anxious or seasick that they could not even eat!
At the core of Paul’s thoughts was not just the fact that he had warned them. Paul shared the reassurance he had received from the Lord that he would indeed make it to Rome and that God would graciously deliver all those whom traveled with him. Perhaps a better title for the sermon would be: “I told you so… but you’ll be okay.” No matter the form, that message was an encouragement.
What we really want to note here is Paul’s remarkable faith. At the foundation of this journey, Paul had absolute trust that God was in charge no matter what. Paul knew the whole time this ship would be lost. Yet, no matter what happened around him or what decisions were made beyond his control, Paul knew that God was in charge. Nothing was out of God’s control.
Paul was living out the very truth that he wrote in Romans 8:28. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Stormy seas and lousy advice are but an annoyance. They have no effect on God’s ultimate plan.
As we start a new season of the year or season in life, there may be some rough seas ahead. There may be difficult times. When we have an opportunity to speak, I am not sure we should copy Paul’s “I told you so…” sermon when speaking to friends and family, but we can copy Paul’s faith. God is in charge. God is in charge. God is in charge.

Lord, I surrender to You all my doubts and fears about what may be ahead for me and those I love. I trust fully in the God who formed the mountains and put the seas in place. You are in charge. You are in charge. You are in charge. In Jesus’ name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2001, 2016
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.